eBooks

Can you be gluten intolerant without having celiac disease? Can gluten cause symptoms not related to digestion? A growing body of evidence proves that non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is not only real, but possibly a larger problem than celiac disease.

An estimated 20 million Americans have thyroid disorders, but more than half don’t know it. Find out why thyroid problems are so often mis-diagnosed, what really causes them, and how to heal them naturally.

Research suggests that healing your gut may be the single most important thing you can do to improve your health. In this eBook, you’ll learn how to optimize your gut health—and by extension, your overall health—with simple diet and lifestyle changes.

What is a low carb diet, really? When can a low carb diet be beneficial? Should everyone follow a low carb diet? Or, can a low carb diet ruin your health? After reading this eBook, you’ll be able to understand the many factors that play into how a person handles a low carbohydrate diet, and whether or not their health will improve on such a plan.

Are common additives to food and supplements like soy lecithin, carrageenan, xanthum gum, and magnesium stearate harmful–or harmless? Read this eBook to find out which ingredients you should be concerned about, and which are safe.

Is sugar “toxic” in any amount—even in natural sweeteners? Are artificial sweeteners safe? What about stevia and xylitol? Cut through the confusion and hype and find out which sweeteners are safe for you and your family.

The Paleo diet has the potential to dramatically improve your health—but the transition doesn’t always go smoothly. In this eBook, you’ll learn the three biggest obstacles to Paleo success, and how to overcome them.

What do memory loss, depression, anxiety, fatigue, nerve pain, and infertility have in common? They can all be caused by B12 deficiency. Find out why B12 deficiency is more common than most doctors think, how to know if you’re deficient, and what to do about it.

Does eating cholesterol and saturated fat really cause heart disease? Are statin drugs as effective as we’re told? Find out what the latest research says in this eBook, and learn how to prevent and treat heart disease naturally.

The Roundup

Here is The Roundup, Edition 13, bringing you the best from around the web from the past two weeks!

Blast from the Past

Many studies in recent years have shown fecal microbiota transplantation to be a highly effective treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, and some research even suggests that it may also play a role in treating other gastrointestinal (GI) and non-GI diseases. A new review article, entitled “An overview of fecal microbiota transplantation: techniques, indications, and outcomes” has been published in the August issue of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and examines how fecal therapy may be used to treat a variety of common disorders, including antibiotic-resistant c. diff infections, inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and constipation. Fecal transplants have even shown promise in preventing the development of diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

I’ve written about fecal transplants in the past, and as gross as this new therapy sounds, I think it could be one of the most promising treatments of the 21st century. Not only does fecal transplantation have the capability of treating a variety of gastrointestinal illness, it also has the potential to treat and cure a variety of disorders related to metabolic or immune dysfunction. If patients (and practitioners!) can get over the “ick” factor, I believe fecal transplantation will truly be the cure of the future.

That said, before you rush out to try a fecal transplant at home, I want to emphasize that there are real risks associated with this procedure. I’ve now heard from several people that have done this without properly screening the donor first, or have used a donor that was not a good candidate. The most current guidelines now suggest excluding people with any history of autoimmune disease, mental health problems, and perhaps even skin disorders, given the increased understanding of the connection between these conditions and the gut microbiota. I’ve heard anecdotal reports of people who’ve experienced weight loss or gain, eczema or psoriasis, and even changes in personality after fecal transplants. So, while this is a tremendously exciting potential treatment, it needs to be approached with caution and common sense, and should be done under the supervision of a health care provider experienced with the procedure.

New research suggests that the reason most smokers gain weight when they quit smoking is due to changes in intestinal flora. Apparently, bacterial strains that prevail in the intestinal flora of obese persons also increase in people giving up smoking.

A recent study demonstrates that even mild stress can make it difficult to control your emotions, including fear and anxiety.

Evidence suggests that individuals with a “low bacterial richness” in their guts are characterized by more marked overall adiposity, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia and a more pronounced inflammatory response when compared with “high bacterial richness” individuals.

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“In a new study, researchers were able to make mice lean or obese by altering their gut bacteria. Jeffrey Gordon, an author of the study, discusses how the interaction between diet and the microbial community in our gut influences our health.”

Too bad their choice of experimental diets didn’t include a more paleo-ish type…but still…seems like some interesting possibilities for further consideration.

I’m not educated enough to know if gut bacteria are a totally different aspect than fecal bacteria….but it seems like these two things are probably related.

And as the Sci Friday clip says, and probably many of us that read Chris’s stuff already know: the microbes field is exploding. Likewise, as Chris noted, “I think it could be one of the most promising treatments of the 21st century” …my guess is… if a way can be found that intestinal microbe colonies, could be influenced by fecal transplants, with the microbes that would help address obesity issues as this study indicates, I bet lots of folks would get over the “ick factor” really fast!! I know it would help me get over it!

Hi Chris, like Matt the potential is enormous. Daniel Vitalis talks about the genetic diversity that comes via foraging wild herbs/plants. Is it possible that diversity (types of DNA that is sharing of species) is a reflection of flora microbe proliferation? If so, a renewal of vitality will come from a shared ecology with sea and land hot-blooded animals as well as foraged wild plants.